Interview: Mike Candys

Mike Candys is one of the most important Electro House producers and recognised for his work. His last single is «2012 (If The World Would End)» and as he told us, he is preparing a new single which will be released in November!

Mike Candys voted world’s #86 best DJ from the DJ MAG TOP 100! You can also vote him for the MTV EMA 2012 here.

Hi Mike! How is the tour going?
Summer tour 2012 was awesome, I’ve been in so many countries, had really great parties. Now we’ re at the beginning of the Winter tour and I’m sure it’s gonna be great.

If The World Would End Tomorrow! Are you mocking all these things that are said for 2012 in your last single?
Not at all. We just wanted to give a positive alternative, cause everywhere in the media there was like “panic” and I really know some people who are afraid of the end of the world.

Have you been influenced by the scenarios of our planet’s disaster?
I’m really interested in Mythology and Ancient technology stuff. So it is very interesting for me to see the different approaches to a date like in December 2012. It doesn’t scare me, but I think it’s worth some serious thoughts.

Let’s travel back in time. The time you started being occupied with music. What made you become a Dj/producer?
I started playing instruments like Piano and recorder when I was 7. I “produced” my first multi-track recordings with the age of 10. I have always been interested in both – the music (9 years of classical piano lessons, music studies at the university) and the studio technology. I worked 3 weeks in a store when I was 14 to get the money to buy my first synthesizer. Then I started arranging and producing electronic music. From the age of 13 I took every chance to perform as a DJ – at school, parties in our home basement etc.. I just wanted to play music all the time – either live with the piano or as a DJ.

How easy or difficult is it for a musician to produce his «own sound»?
This is something that just happens when you produce a lot of tracks. Of course every producer gets some influences by other productions, but I think in the end you can always find some elements that make the sound of a good producer unique. These are the elements that fit your personal style best.

You have cooperated with Evelyn! Generally, how do you choose your cooperators?
Track by track it’s different. Sometimes I know with whom I’m gonna produce before I wrote the first note and sometimes the track is finished and I choose a singer that fits it best. It’s very important to find the perfect vocals, cause great vocals can really boost a track while poor vocals can ruin it completely.

You are an artist that presents himself with a mask. What do you express through this?
During a time of 10 years I didn’t work as a dj but only in the studio, producing for other artists and DJs. I just went back on stage in the clubs when my tracks entered the charts in many countries. So I wanted to show the audience that I’m not “only” a DJ but also a producer – this means that my sets are different from every other DJ-set, cause I play my own music. The mask is a sign for Mike Candys music. When you’re at a party and you see my mask, you know exactly what sound you’re gonna get.

People seem to like dubstep more and more. Would you experiment with this type of music?
I already did in some of my tracks and Bootlegs. For me it’s interesting as an experiment and a challenge for me as a producer. But I’m definitely not gonna change my style completely.

You have covered Faithless and more specifically the song «Insomnia». How did you choose that song?
Insomnia is one of the greatest dance tracks ever. When I heard it for the first time in a club, it changed the way I saw house and trance forever. So I wanted to play it in my sets but the original version was just too “soft” to play in a today’s electro house set.

What projects are you being occupied with at the moment?
I’m working on some new Mike Candys tracks, my next single will be released in Novemebr 2012.

Soon we will have the results of DJ Mag Top 100. What do you foretell for the top?
I guess it’s gonna be one of the usual suspects: Guetta, Tiesto, Armin;
high climbers may be Hardwell and Nicky Romero.

Have you ever visited Greece?
I’ve been to some Greek islands… only for holidays so far…

Which are the next stations of your tour?
Till the end of the year I will be playing in many European countries. For 2013 we are already preparing gis in the USA and other countries outside of Europe.

Thank you very much for your time. Good luck in MTV EMA!
Thank you! Smile!